Flinn Earns 2026 Perfect Game Freshman All-America First Team Honors
June 11, 2026 | Baseball
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini freshman pitcher Aidan Flinn was named a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game, which was announced on Thursday.
Flinn earned a spot on the Perfect Game Freshman All-America First Team and was one of seven Big Ten student-athletes to achieve Freshman All-America status from Perfect Game this season.
A native of Mokena, Illinois, Flinn posted a 2.79 ERA during his debut collegiate campaign in 2026, throwing 61.1 innings with 58 strikeouts and a 0.83 WHIP, the latter of which currently ranks tied for first in the country. Flinn made 15 total appearances, including 13 starts, while allowing just 13 walks all season.
An All-Big Ten Second Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree, Flinn registered the best ERA by an Illini freshman since 2020, the most innings pitched by an Illini freshman since 2017, and the most strikeouts by an Illini freshman since 2013.
Flinn, now the 15th Freshman All-American in program history, is the first Illini to secure Freshman All-America honors since Cole Kirschsieper in 2020.
Illinois' Freshman All-Americans
1989 - Sean Mulligan, C (Collegiate Baseball)
1989 - Bubba Smith, UT (Collegiate Baseball)
1991 - Scott Spiezio, IF (Collegiate Baseball)
1999 - Luke Simmons, DH (Collegiate Baseball)
2000 - Andy Schutzenhofer, 1B (Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America)
2002 - Drew Davidson, OF (Collegiate Baseball)
2003 - Eric Eymann, SS (Collegiate Baseball)
2008 - Casey McMurray, OF (Collegiate Baseball)
2009 - Willie Argo, OF (Collegiate Baseball)
2012 - Reid Roper, 2B/RHP (Collegiate Baseball)
2013 - Kevin Duchene, LHP (Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, Baseball America, Perfect Game)
2014 - Adam Walton, SS (Collegiate Baseball)
2017 - Michael Massey, 2B (Collegiate Baseball)
2020 - Cole Kirschsieper, LHP (Collegiate Baseball)
2026 - Aidan Flinn, LHP (NCBWA, Perfect Game)
2026 Perfect Game Freshman All-America Teams
Perfect Game Freshman All-America First Team
C Alonzo Alvarez, Miami
1B Ethin Bingaman, Auburn
2B Ethan Ball, Virginia Tech
SS Jett Kenady, Cal
3B Nico Partida, Texas A&M
IF Linkin Garcia, Texas Tech
OF Teddy Tokheim, Stanford
OF Jacob Parker, Mississippi State
OF Anthony Pack Jr., Texas
OF Angel Laya, Oregon
UT Drew Grego, Nebraska
DH Enzo Infelise, Cincinnati
SP Aidan Flinn, Illinois
SP Will Labonte, Portland
SP Trey Morris, Oregon State
SP Michael Senay, South Florida
SP Myles Upchurch, Alabama
RP Sam Cozart, Texas
RP Caden Glauber, North Carolina
RP Landon Hood, Gonzaga
RP Zach Strickland, UCLA
2W Jesse Rusinek, Texas Tech
Perfect Game Freshman All-America Second Team
C Clayton Namken, Texas State
1B Brayden Jaksa, Oregon
2B Diego Cruz, Miami (Ohio)
SS Will Geary, Lindenwood
3B Bo Moody, Presbyterian
IF Wyatt Hanoian, Air Force
OF Brady Christman, Georgia Southern
OF Brady Janusek, Baylor
OF Cam Righi, UConn
OF Jorian Wilson, Texas A&M
UT Rett Johnson, NC State
SP Angel Cervantes, UCLA
SP Shane Brinham, Michigan
SP Harrison Engle, Fairfield
SP Sheamus Ryan, North Dakota State
SP Trey Williford, UNC-Wilmington
RP Cam Appenzeller, Tennessee
RP Jackson Rose, North Carolina
RP Ben Tanton, Old Dominion
RP Ross Yoshida, Cornell
RP Alex Via, Portland
2W Evan Wilson, Richmond
